Warwick Advertiser gets a visit from S.S. Seward

On January 17 about 16 students from S.S. Seward Institute’s journalism class and club came to visit the The Warwick Advertiser office in Chester, NY, to learn about the newspaper business. The visit started with a Q&A between the newspaper’s staff and the students.

Most of the class appeared hesitant to ask questions about the industry, but some did chime in, seeking to learn more about the day to day activities of a newspaper editor and staff, why some of us decided to enter the journalism field, and how long we had all been in the industry.

They also wanted some insight on what we do when a story comes in, the difficulties we’ve faced in the field, and the best and worst parts of the job.

The staff members shared some of our history and personal journeys into the local journalism field, and the lessons we’ve learned over the years. For example, in response to one student’s inquiry regarding what advice we’d give to student journalists, this editor said they should go into a story understanding that few issues (Think inflation, homelessness, bail reform, etc.) are black and white, they are almost always more nuanced, more involved than you may initially realize when beginning the research phase, and it is the journalist’s job to accurately explain those nuances, while also not getting lost in the weeds and going on tangents. Molly Colgan, director of the paper’s content strategy, highlighted the importance of curiosity in reporting, which can drive a reporter to ask pertinent questions, rather than opting for a yes or no answer.

Dirt Magazine Editor and Straus News Deputy Publisher Becca Tucker noted the importance of being non-biased in our reporting, which can be achieved by first recognizing our own biases and keeping them in check when reporting on issues we may personally care about. After all, the newspaper’s staff are also members of the greater tri-state community, and naturally have a stake in the same issues as everyone else.

We then attempted to ask the students questions about their own interest in journalism and some of the issues facing their generation today. While it was a relatively quiet class, some did note that they had more of a love for writing than pursuing a journalism career long term. We also asked them how they felt about cell phone use in schools, in light of some state governments prohibiting their use. The students generally felt it wasn’t as much of an issue at their school and their classmates did typically keep them off.

With Valentine’s Day less than a month away, we asked what it’s like to date in high school and how they meet people. Their biggest hurdle seemed to be their small class. One student noted that they had all essentially grown up together and knew each other too well. Dating was more through happenstance, chance meetings at other schools or off-campus events.

We asked the teens what they wanted adults to know about being a teen today. While most didn’t really have advice to share, a few chimed in to say that they aren’t as naive about the world as their parents may think, even when it comes to technology such as landlines and VHS tapes.

Finally, we asked them to share what they felt were some of the greatest threats or concerns facing their generation. For many of the student artists in attendance, AI was a big concern — the poor AI art flooding fields and its potential to take jobs from humans, as well as its general inaccuracy and lack of regulation.

The students then got to witness the creation of a newspaper, including the ad layout and page design process, the writing and editing of an article, and the final editorial layout process.

S.S. Seward Institute’s journalism class and club includes Ava Andrade, Cesar Cabrera, Gabriella Campana, Violet Collins, Allie Conger, Malina Grove, Sierra Grove, Barbra Hamling, Sophia LaBelle, Georgia Maesano, Savannah Mahoney, Ravyn Morales, Maris Neuman, Abigail Orlando, Leon Teskera, and Alexander Vargas. The class was also accompanied by teacher/journalism club advisor Tracie Moon and FUFSD career coordinator Barbara Scheibling.

Watch for these student bylines in upcoming publications out of S.S. Seward, or even in this paper.